1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a composition of matter used as an industrial solvent composition for cleaning up petroleum waste products, the composition herein based on d-limonene, a monocyclic, optically active terpene, typically derived from citrus oils, but also found in, for example, neroli, bergamot, caraway, and other oils as an active ingredient, combined with a surfactant such as an ethoxylated nonyl phenol (hereinafter nonyl phenol) in conjunction with a fatty acid, the composition being effective for acting as a cleaning solvent for petroleum products, such as oil spill cleanups or removal of tar and grease waste.
2. Description of the Prior Art
d-limonene, commonly commercially sold as "citrus stripper oil," is a widely distributed optically active terpene, typically commercially obtained as a byproduct in the production of citrus molasses, which includes citrus peel oil (usually derived from a mixture of citrus fruits, particularly lemon, orange, and lime) that has been subjected to a lime treatment in a feed mill and recovered by distillation from citrus press liquor. The stripper oil, which usually contains in excess of 95 percent d-limonene, is one of the purest commercial sources of d-limonene, and is commercially employed in the production of a variety of organoleptic material, such as spearmint oil flavor (1-carvone) or peppermint oil flavor. It is believed that the compositions in each of these trademark products are certainly based on citrus oils and specifically, d-limonene, although the specific chemical composition is believed to be a trade secret of Golden Gem and is not known to the Applicant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,937 issued Nov. 4, 1986 to Joseph Dellutri describes an all-purpose cleaner containing d-limonene. In particular, the composition is a cleaning agent for hand cleaner and all-purpose cleaner that uses distilled d-limonene and acids in a non-ionic detergent. Although various uses of citrus oils are known in the prior art, Applicant has found that the use of a d-limonene based composition that includes surfactants such as ethoxylated nonyl phenol or ethoxylated octyl phenol (hereinafter octyl phenol) in conjunction with a fatty acid marketed under the trade name Unitol DSR in a prescribed quantity proportionate to the volume produces an extremely effective industrial solvent that can be used for oil cleanup, such as oil spills, and as a general industrial solvent in the oil industry to remove grease, tar, and other oil waste products. Petroleum oil waste products, such as oil spills, or even in industrial use for machinery oil and grease spills has become an extremely vexing environmental problem. Applicant believes that with the use of the present invention, oil spills can be cleaned up cost effectively by the use of the present invention which Applicant believes creates a microencapsulation of oil molecules, which makes the oil more biodegradable for quick removal and cleanup operations. Of even more importance is the fact that the present invention is non-toxic to human beings and the environment and does not create any environmental problem. In fact, on the contrary, it is biodegradable and environmental friendly.